Kelp Bay and Lake Eva
We started our day in the calm waters of Kelp Bay on the western side of Chatham Strait. With the mist clinging to the surrounding hillsides, we headed to Pond Island geared up for hiking and kayaking. The island has a population of beavers and the goal of the hike was to head inland to see the ponds they have created. On the way, our boots were put to the test, helping us get through some of Southeast Alaska’s famous mud and a small patch of muskeg. There were signs of beaver activity all around: gnawed trees and a very impressive dam. Headed back to the landing, one group spotted a small pod of killer whales out in the bay that seemed to make several harbor seals quite nervous. The killer whales were moving quite fast, too fast for the kayakers to keep up, but one Zodiac was fortunate to have a brief, but stunning encounter. Fishing bald eagles and browsing Sitka black-tailed deer were sights that rewarded the paddlers for silently skimming along the shoreline.
In the afternoon, Sea Lion headed into Peril Strait starting our journey toward Sitka. Before continuing to Sitka, we made one last stop to hike the trail that leads to Lake Eva. We were hoping to see salmon headed up the small river next to the trail, but we were treated to an even more exciting spectacle. A brown bear appeared as we walked the trail and we watched as the bear tried unsuccessfully to catch salmon in the tidal flats. The bear displayed surprising speed and agility as it ran in pursuit of the salmon, sending up a wild spray of water. Just like us, the bear then headed upstream looking for more fish. Fortunately it stayed on the opposite shore of the river and we had great views of it walking up the small waterfall to the holding pond. After the bear headed into the bushes on the opposite shore, we turned our attention to the salmon swimming in the quiet pool just above the waterfall. There were good numbers of pink salmon, but looking closely we spotted some of the larger sockeye and chum salmon. We headed back to the landing site, making plenty of noise and carefully stepping over the roots and mud. Soon we were back on the Sea Lion with stories to tell; it was a great ending to an exciting week.
We started our day in the calm waters of Kelp Bay on the western side of Chatham Strait. With the mist clinging to the surrounding hillsides, we headed to Pond Island geared up for hiking and kayaking. The island has a population of beavers and the goal of the hike was to head inland to see the ponds they have created. On the way, our boots were put to the test, helping us get through some of Southeast Alaska’s famous mud and a small patch of muskeg. There were signs of beaver activity all around: gnawed trees and a very impressive dam. Headed back to the landing, one group spotted a small pod of killer whales out in the bay that seemed to make several harbor seals quite nervous. The killer whales were moving quite fast, too fast for the kayakers to keep up, but one Zodiac was fortunate to have a brief, but stunning encounter. Fishing bald eagles and browsing Sitka black-tailed deer were sights that rewarded the paddlers for silently skimming along the shoreline.
In the afternoon, Sea Lion headed into Peril Strait starting our journey toward Sitka. Before continuing to Sitka, we made one last stop to hike the trail that leads to Lake Eva. We were hoping to see salmon headed up the small river next to the trail, but we were treated to an even more exciting spectacle. A brown bear appeared as we walked the trail and we watched as the bear tried unsuccessfully to catch salmon in the tidal flats. The bear displayed surprising speed and agility as it ran in pursuit of the salmon, sending up a wild spray of water. Just like us, the bear then headed upstream looking for more fish. Fortunately it stayed on the opposite shore of the river and we had great views of it walking up the small waterfall to the holding pond. After the bear headed into the bushes on the opposite shore, we turned our attention to the salmon swimming in the quiet pool just above the waterfall. There were good numbers of pink salmon, but looking closely we spotted some of the larger sockeye and chum salmon. We headed back to the landing site, making plenty of noise and carefully stepping over the roots and mud. Soon we were back on the Sea Lion with stories to tell; it was a great ending to an exciting week.
